Комментарий к Бамидбар 13:22

ויבא עד חברון [AND THEY WENT UP BY THE SOUTH] AND HE CAME UNTO HEBRON — Caleb alone went there and prostrated himself on the graves of the Patriarchs, offering prayer that he might be helped not to give way to the enticement of his colleagues and join them in their counsel. You may see that it was Caleb who went there, for so indeed it (Scripture) states, (Deuteronomy 1:36) “[Save Caleb the son of Jephunnch, he shall see it] and unto him will I give the land upon which he hath trodden!” and it is written, (Judges 1:20) “And they gave Hebron unto Caleb” (Sotah 34b)

AND HEBRON ‘NIVNETHAH’ (WAS BUILT) SEVEN YEARS BEFORE ZOAN IN EGYPT. “Is it possible that Ham [Noah’s son, the father of both Canaan and Mitzraim], built Hebron for Canaan, his younger son, before he built Zoan for Mitzraim, his elder son? Rather, you must say that [the meaning of the word nivnethah] is m’vunah (“built up” — i.e., furnished, supplied) with all excellent qualities, seven times more than Zoan [in Egypt]. The verse thus comes to tell you of the wonderful quality of the Land of Israel.” This is Rashi’s language.
It appears to me according to the plain meaning [of Scripture] that Hebron is Kiryath-arba, the greatest man of the Anakim having the name Arba, and it was he who built it [Hebron], therefore it was called by his name; just as it is said, Now the name of Hebron beforetime was Kiryath-arba, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.⁴⁵Joshua 14:15. This man begot a son whom he named Anak, and it was after him that they [the inhabitants of Hebron] were called Anakim. Therefore Scripture states [here in our verse] that there in Hebron were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt, meaning to say that Arba built it for his son Anak seven years before the building of Zoan in Egypt, which was an ancient city. [Scripture thereby] tells of the longevity of these people, for just as they were exceptional in their height so also they lived longer than other peoples; since Hebron was built [by Arba] for their father [i.e., Anak, the father of these giants Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai] before Zoan in Egypt, and many generations had elapsed since then [the founding of Zoan] until now.
It is possible that [in saying that Hebron was built seven years before Zoan Scripture] is alluding to that which it said, whether it is fat or lean,²⁴Further, Verse 20. [implying] that Hebron was very ancient and nonetheless still produced fat and large fruits, as Scripture tells about the bunch of grapes,⁴⁶Verse 24. and how much more so the newer [parts of the] Land, which was more fertile.
It may be that Arba [and not, as explained above, a son of his, called Anak], was the father of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, and he was called Arba [literally “four”] because there were [altogether] four Anakim [“giants” — the three sons, Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, and their father. According to this we would not have to postulate, as explained above, the existence of a son of Arba whom he named Anak, and who was the ancestor of the people called Anakim]. And the verse which states even Kiryath-arba, which Arba was the father of ‘Anak’ — the same is Hebron⁴⁷Joshua 15:13. [from which you might deduce that Arba indeed had a son, called Anak, uses the singular as a generic term and] means “the father of Anakim.” Therefore Scripture speaks of [Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai as the sons of] Anak and as the children ‘ha’anak’ (of Anak),⁴⁸In Verse 33 here, Scripture speaks of [the sons of] Anak, and in Verse 22 here [also in Joshua 15:14] of the children of ‘ha’anak.’ that is, the children of the greatest [giant] of them all [Arba], just as it says, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim;⁴⁵Joshua 14:15. and therefore [since it refers to the greatest giant, called Arba, and not to an individual called Anak] Scripture mentions the name with the definite article.⁴⁹The definite article [indicated in Hebrew by prefixing the word with the letter hei] cannot be prefixed to a proper name of a person. Thus, e.g., you cannot say ‘ha’Reuben’ (the Reuben). But if it is not a proper name the hei can be used. Thus we find “ha’Reubeini” (the Reubenites) — further 26:7, etc. Here too, if “Anak” were the proper name of a person, Scripture could not have said the children of ‘ha’anak,’ but since it means here “the [greatest] giant,” it may properly be so used. They [giants] are called Anakim [literally “necklaces”] because of their beautiful stature, for they are like necklaces on the necks of the people [i.e., they were the pride of the people], just as [certain people] were called bnei ha’elohim⁵⁰Genesis 6:2. See Vol. I, pp. 102-3. in the section of Bereshith, as I have explained there.⁵⁰Genesis 6:2. See Vol. I, pp. 102-3. This is the meaning of the verse, And Hebron ‘nivnethah’ (was built) by this ‘anak’ [mentioned in the beginning of the verse], seven years before Zoan in Egypt, for since the builder of Hebron [Arba] was well-known and famous, because the name of the city was Kiryath-arba (“the city of Arba”), Scripture says “it was built,” [and does not say that Arba built it]. Or its meaning might be [to emphasize] that it was built for these [very people whom the spies now found in it], their father Arba having built it for them, and thus very many years had passed since the day it was founded even until now.⁵¹Exodus 9:18.

ויבא עד חברון. The well known aggadic comment is widely perceived as the plain meaning of this verse, i.e. that the verse (in the singular, “he came”) refers to Calev of whom the Torah reports “to him I will give the land which he crossed on foot.” (Deuteronomy 1,36)